Everything Has Changed
by deadly breathing
Summary: Gwen has been living with her lame excuse of a father ever since her mom died. Now that she goes to a new school, will she find friends? Who will discover her dirty little secret? will it be a guitar strumming cutie? a stuck up CIT? or a loner punk? No matter who it is, Gwen will soon find out that she can't trust anyone, even if her heart disagrees. -Rated for language
1. Welcome To My Life

**Author's Note: hey there... :3 well im new here and this is my first fic ever. I don't have high expectations for this story but i promise i will finish it no matter what. I try to update at least once a week. ummmm welllll...yeah. haha. so basically if i get at least a couple of reviews i'll continue. well, here ya go, hope you enjoy it(:**

**BTW: It's all in Gwen's POV. If not, I will letcha know who's it is. **

**Rated for language. **

**Chapter:1 **

Welcome to My Life

A door slammed and I was jolted from my sleep. '_Shit'_, I thought. He was home. My heart started pounding and I quick went through my mental checklist.

-I had cleaned up after dinner.

-Left a plate of food in the microwave for him.

-Put all my books away.

-My iPod was…._fuck_! I had left it out on the kitchen counter! "Shit shit shit!" I whispered angrily to myself. A couple weeks ago he had told me to throw my iPod away, but there was no way in hell I was throwing away my only escape from this nightmare. So I kept it and just made sure he had no clue I still had it. And it worked. Until now.

I heard him drop the keys onto the counter downstairs. 'Here we go…' I thought. Ever since we had moved last month he had started to get more unpredictable, especially when he was out drinking and smoking till four in the morning. I glanced at my clock, 4:04. 'Right on time', I thought. Sometimes he wouldn't even bother to come home for days, which was perfectly fine by me. He wasn't exactly the most charming person to be around.

Downstairs, I heard him grunt and mumble, stringing out a few curses here and there. Then, I heard the sickening crack of what could only be my iPod being thrown across the room. Damn. I really liked my iPod. Suddenly, I heard his thundering footsteps head up the stairs. He was still mumbling to himself, now probably cursing me to oblivion. My heart was hammering in my chest now and I felt the goose bumps rise up on my arms when the footsteps stopped outside my door. I held my breath and waited. Maybe I'd get lucky and he'd be drunk enough to just pass out. A loud pounding rattled on my door. I hate my life.

"OPEN UP BITCH! I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE!" I knew I had to get up now. If I didn't he'd probably break down the door. (Yeah he was drunk, but he was still pretty fuckin strong) Which he would then blame on me and force me to fix it. It was a lose/lose situation. I seem to have been getting in a lot of those lately.

He pounded on the door some more. "NOW BITCH!" I threw off the covers and made my way over to the door, bracing myself for…what? I don't even know. There was no way to prepare myself for what was going to happen; it was going to hurt just the same. So before he could get any more pissed off, (if that was even possible), I opened the door.

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Author's Note: well hopefully that wasn't too awful.../:

**Duncan: When the hell am i gonna show up? **

**Me: Just hold your horses mister! You'll meet your Sunshine in a bit, as along as i get a couple reviews ;)**

**Duncan: WELL THEY BETTER REVIEW!**

**Me: Or what?**

**Duncan: OR ELSE! thats what. **

**Me: Alrighty then. You heard the man! Oh and because i'm new, constructive criticism is good, but please no flames...im a delicate soul.**

**Duncan: *cough cough*...pussy...*cough cough***

**Me: WATCH IT PUNK! Bye ;)**


	2. Daddy Dearest

**Chapter 2**

**Daddy Dearest**

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I love you all! A special thanks goes to xGoldenSpiritx for being my first reviewer of ALL TIME. So, thank you so super freaking much! And now I sound like a preppy little bitch. Okay, ANYWAY. Please read and review again, the story's only just beginning!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Bummer.**

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_Last time..._

_He pounded on the door some more. "NOW BITCH!" I threw off the covers and made my way over to the door, bracing myself for…what? I don't even know. There was no way to prepare myself for what was going to happen; it was going to hurt just the same. So before he could get any more pissed off, (if that was even possible), I opened the door._

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There he was. My loving father, Raymond Greyson, towering over me and smelling like cheap booze and pot. The scent of champions. My eyes scanned him over, noticing that he was in need of a shave, he probably hadn't even showered in the past couple of days, and that my dark blue headphones were dangling from his left hand. 'Oh god, please don't strangle me,' I thought. That would be a riot. I can see it now, front page news, "_Girl Gets Strangled by Headphones". _ Hilarious. Then I focused on his right hand, which was bandaged up. You could still see the blood through the white gauze. 'Probably from another one of his bar fights,' I thought.

All of a sudden he shifted his weight and leaned forward, catching me off guard and grabbing a fistful of my hair with his bandaged hand. His dirty fingers began dragging me out of my room and into the hallway. He didn't say a word, and neither did I. I won't give him the satisfaction of hearing my pain. I grit my teeth as he began pulling my hair harder, pulling me further down the hall. Once we were about halfway down the hallway, he let go of my hair and grabbed me around the throat, roughly shoving me up against the wall.

"Now listen here you little slut," he slurred, "what have I told you about leavin' your shit all over the place, hmm?" His dark beady eyes stared straight back into my dark blue ones, begging me to reply, begging me to give him a reason to hit me. Well he wasn't getting one. I stared straight on back, never flinching, even though his grip on my throat was making it difficult to breathe.

He took my headphones in his free hand and shoved them right up next o my face, "What the _hell_ are these?" he yelled. I winced when his hot breath hit my face, it was like I could smell every drink and hit he had taken tonight. And then there was just the fact that he never brushes his teeth. Yeah, that was definitely part of the smell. I turned my attention back to his face, trying to ignore the smell. I watched the anger build up in his hazy eyes, waiting for me to answer. He knew I wasn't going to say anything, I never did.

He took my headphones and threw them down the hall, "_**Answer me**_," he growled. And this time when I didn't reply, he slapped me. Hard. I felt my right cheek stinging and I bit my tongue, not flinching once. My eyes didn't fill with tears, I had built up a tolerance for pain, and there was no way one of his drunken slaps was going to make me cry. I never cried. Crying meant weakness, and weakness meant getting a beating, and I could sure do with a lot less of those.

The first time _daddy dearest_ hit me was about a month after my brother Jake left for college. Mom was already gone by then, which meant it was just me and Ray. Ray had always been a drinker but he was never a pothead, that is, until Jake left. The night he left, I had begged him not to go, but he wouldn't listen. "It's for the best, trust me," was all he said before he slammed the door on his way out. I knew that he wanted to go to college, he always said he would never get anywhere in life if he stayed in this shithole. I just can't believe he left me here. With Ray. I mean, _what a dick_. He promised he'd come back one day and get me out of here too, when he had a job and a place to live. But we both knew that wasn't gonna happen.

Jake wasn't exactly college material, he was more of the high school dropout type; miraculously he graduated though, and got a full scholarship for football. When he first told me, I didn't believe him; I mean my brother was a loser, like a D average kind of loser. But apparently he had kept his grades up senior year and managed to pass. So now my brother's out there somewhere, probably as drunk as my father, wasting his life away. And I'm here. Stuck with this lousy excuse of a man. _Yippee_.

Speaking of the beast, Ray was still staring at me waiting for my answer. I could see him visibly trembling with rage. _Damn,_ I had really done it this time. I was about to open my mouth and give some lame excuse as to why I still had my iPod, but he let go of my throat and began pulling me by my hair again. He roughly tugged my hair as we turned right, I could feel pieces ripping out. '_What the-? Oh, shit shit shit_!' I thought. I knew what was going to happen, so I started putting up a fight. I dug my heels into the carpet and tried to get his hand out of my hair but _man, he's fucking strong._

Suddenly we stopped moving. We were at the end of the hallway, right at the top of the stairs.

"You're a dumb bitch, just like your mother. She was useless, always complaining, and never taking care of her shit. Worthless whore…" and with that, he threw me down the stairs.

I felt my head hit the ground first, and then I did several painful front rolls down the steps. This wasn't the first time he had thrown me down the stairs, and it probably won't be the last. Finally, I stopped my painful descent and landed in a crumpled heap. I could taste the blood in my mouth and watched some drip from my head and onto the kitchen floor beneath me. My ribs hurt an awful lot too; hopefully they weren't broken, maybe just bruised. I tried to sit up, but the room was spinning. _Oh great, a concussion. Just what I need. _I took a moment to breathe before I shakily got to my feet, ignoring the pounding in my head. I saw Ray appear at the top of the stairs, a lop-sided grin on his drunken face.

"You still alive, you little slut? Damn shame. Guess I'll have to try harder."

He started coming down the steps, but because he was as high as a kite, it would probably take him a couple seconds. Now was my chance. I grabbed the counter behind me and headed into the kitchen. _Think Gwen think, where is it. _I knew my phone was down here somewhere. I had hid it in one of the kitchen drawers today when I was done making dinner, only now, I couldn't remember which one. That's when it hit me. Literally. Ray had thrown the toaster at my head. He missed my head, but he did manage to hit my left shoulder. I staggered back into the fridge and sank down to my knees. He was standing right in front of me now. I glared up at him, ready to throw as many curses as I could, but he kicked me in the stomach knocking the wind out of me.

"I don't ever want to see your crap lying around ever again. You're lucky I moved out here for you to get a good education," _bullshit,_ I thought, "even if you are a worthless brat." And with those loving words, he picked up his keys from the table, swaying slightly, and walked right out the door. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

After sitting there for a few minutes like a pathetic baby, I decided it was time to get up. I forced myself to stand up on wobbly knees and stagger over to the counter, grabbing the edge for support. Now remembering where my phone was, convenient right, I made my way around the fridge and over to the drawer by the sink. I opened it up and pulled aside all the silverware, and grabbed my phone. Leaning against the counter, I flipped through my contacts until I saw who I was looking for. Then, I called Leshawna.

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**Author's Note: I tried to make this one a little longer, I know the first chappie was really short but it was just a trial run. Well, please review, constructive criticism is always nice! But ya know, flames are kinda painful...so ya know, try not to burn me. **

**Duncan:"HEY PUSSY DID YOU FORGET ABOUT ME!" **

**Me:*shoves him*.."shut up and get back in the closet"...**

**Duncan: "Hey you can't do this to me! Hey! HEY"!**

**Me: *slams door and locks it*"...hehe...sorry bout that, he'll be around in the next chapter or two. Depending on whether or not you review..."*wink wink* **

**Duncan: *from inside the closet*" I WILL KILL YOU!"**

**Me: GO AHEAD AND TRY! until next time... ;)**


	3. Challenge Accepted

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY. I know I haven't updated in like 70 billion fucking years, but I had this huge-ass english project due last week and then my dumbass brother ERASED all my work on my flash drive, so I had to rewrite this whole fucking chapter and everything else I had done. Yeah, but anyway. Thank you all for the reviews, it was a little discouraging, I only got 5 this time)': but whatever, THANK YOU ALL ANYWAY!(: I promise I won't give up on this! SO, enjoy, and please review!(:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Damn. **

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_Last time..._

_Now remembering where my phone was, convenient right, I made my way around the fridge and over to the drawer by the sink. I opened it up and pulled aside all the silverware, and grabbed my phone. Leaning against the counter, I flipped through my contacts until I saw who I was looking for. Then, I called Leshawna. _

* * *

She picked up after the third ring.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, calling me at this ungodly hour? It is fucking _four thirty_ in the _morning!_"

"But _mommy_, I had a nightmare," I replied sarcastically.

"Too bad babe," she chuckled. "Now seriously girl, what's up? I know you got a reason for calling me this early."

"He threw me down the stairs this time." I answered, the joking tone gone from my voice. I heard a sharp intake of breath come from the other side of the line, followed by _"that little fucking bastard"_ and what sounded like a fist slamming down on a table.

"I don't think it's anything serious, but my head feels pretty fucked up and everything's kinda spinny."

"Girl I swear to god that I will personally cut this man's throat open. Free of charge."

"Not necessary, I'm pretty sure he's going to end up killing himself one of these days. It's just a matter of tolerating him until that day arrives. But anyway, I just wanted to let you know that if you don't get a text from me anytime soon, it's because my head's fucked from one too many front rolls down the fucking stairs." I stopped and listened to what sounded like a car door slamming on the other side of the line. "So I guess I'll call you when I'm feeling better." There. That did it, I thought smirking to myself.

"Whoa, hold up. I don't think so, I'm headed to your house right now girl."

"What? Why the hell are you doing that?" I asked, trying to sound as clueless as possible.

"Don't play with me girl. I know you called because you need me. Don't deny it." I smiled to myself, she knew me too well. All of a sudden, I heard her brakes screech through the phone, several horns honking.

"What the hell are you doing, running all the fucking red lights?" I asked, only half-joking.

"No, some crazy ass fool just walked right in front of me!" she exclaimed.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, little punk walkin around in all black. Probably would've hit him but that mohawk of his practically glows in the dark. You got some crazy ass people in this town of yours sister."

"Great. Guess I'll fit right in then, wont I?" I asked sarcastically.

"I don't know baby girl, you never know what you might find in a place like this. Oh, I'm almost there girl, see you in a few!"

"Alright, see ya." Then there was a soft click, and the line was disconnected. I set my phone down and headed over to the living room, I sat down in the beat up leather recliner, right by the front door, and waited for Leshawna to get here.

While I waited, I couldn't stop thinking about what Leshawna'd said, about never knowing what I might find here. Maybe I would find someone, someone who'll understand me, maybe even help me get away from Ray.

_Yeah right_. Good one Gwen.

I never fit in at my old school, or anywhere for that matter. No one sat with me at lunch or in class, when I went out to the store I was frowned upon and laughed at. I was just the loner goth with a bad attitude, and I liked it that way. But there had always been that one girl who was hell bent on trying to make me see the 'error of my ways', always cutting me down with cleverly concealed insults, acting like I was too stupid to understand, like it was her own little private joke between her and her little clique.

People were always stereotyping others, judging just by looks, not giving a shit about their personality. I always hated those kinds of people. I know I'm a hypocrite because I judge people every day, but I keep those opinions to myself, I don't express them the whole student body, I don't shout them out to the world. I know not to take it too far, because I know how it feels to be thrown around and dragged through life, literally and figuratively. Hopefully this new school won't be any different from my old ones; I'll just fade away into the background, not letting anybody get too close. I don't need friends, or worse, a _boyfriend_. Yeah, that would definitely complicate things.

My thoughts we're interrupted as I heard a loud knock on the door. I stood up and steadied myself because everything was still spinning, then I walked over to the door and let Leshawna in.

"Hey girl!" she exclaimed loudly as she threw her arms around me for a huge hug. I winced and pulled away, almost forgetting about the toaster-induced injury to my shoulder.

"Sorry," I said when I saw the hurt look on Leshawna's face. "I'm just a little banged up still."

"And_ that_, is why I'm here!" she said with a smile. I chuckled softly and led her into the kitchen. She set down her purse on the counter and walked over to the sink and turned on the water, she grabbed a washcloth from the counter beside her and began to wait for the water to heat up.

"It seems like a decent place, I mean, I haven't seen any roaches yet." she observed while adjusting the water temperature.

"That's because you haven't seen the basement yet. All the critters like to party down there." I commented dryly.

"Ewwww. That's gross. He doesn't make you go down there does he?" Leshawna asked, now walking towards me with a warm washcloth.

"Sometimes he does, if I don't make dinner right or if I back-talk him. He likes to lock me down there, but he usually lets me out in a few hours because he gets hungry. Pathetic little bastard."

"Urgh. I swear if I ever see that piece of shit, I'll kill him." she said. "Alright, now hold still, you've got blood all over your face girl. And red is not your color baby girl." She started gently wiping off my face with the washcloth, getting my forehead and chin the most. Once I was washed up, she gave me a few tylenol for the pain and helped me clean up the kitchen. While we were sweeping up pieces of my toaster, I looked over to my left and right next to the wall, was my now shattered iPod.

"Damn it, I was really hoping he hadn't broken it!" I exclaimed.

"What'd he break baby girl?" Leshawna asked from across the room.

"My iPod," I said grumpily. It would probably take forever for me to save up enough to get another one. I picked up the pieces of my iPod and threw them in the trash; it felt like I was throwing away a piece of myself too.

After Leshawna and I had picked up the house it was around five thirty a.m. and we were both fucking tired. I knew that if I really did have a concussion that I shouldn't fall asleep because I might never wake up, but nothing was spinning anymore and my headache was barely even there, so I decided to take a risk and get some sleep. I would need t if I was going to school the next day.

"Well girl, I guess this is it." Leshawna said sadly as she stood by my front door.

"Yeah, I guess it is," I replied. I reached out and pulled her into a tight hug, which she immediately returned. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"Same here, sister, same here." she answered. After a minute, we pulled apart; and for the first time in a long while, I smiled a real genuine smile.

"Now, if you need me for anything, and I mean anything, you just call me, you hear?" she said, giving me a knowing look. "I don't care if you think you can handle it, I want you to call me."

"Alright, alright." I sighed. She smiled and laughed to herself.

"Well, see you later," she said as she pulled open the front door.

"Yeah, see ya." I called out, as she headed down my driveway and hopped into her car. I closed the front door and locked it, switching off the porch light. I started slowly making my way up the stairs, the events of earlier this morning catching up to me, making all of my limbs feel like they were filled with sand. Once I made it to my room and closed the door, I collapsed onto my bed immediately. I relaxed into my pillow, feeling the tension leave my body, as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

The sunlight was streaming through my blinds when I opened my eyes. I raised my arms above my head and stretched, letting out a huge yawn I the process, I noticed that my shoulder wasn't hurting as much, but there was still a dull ache there. . I glanced over at the clock on my nightstand, it was a little after one in the afternoon. I sat up and untangled my pale legs from the dark blue sheets. I slipped on an Asking Alexandria sweatshirt over my black tank-top and headed downstairs.

Ray wasn't home yet, not that I expected him to be. He probably wouldn't show up for a couple of days, assuming he ever comes back. Huh, maybe he won't come back. A smirk lifted the corner of my mouth as I opened the cupboard and got out a bowl for my cereal. Once I had my Cap'n' Crunch, I walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa in front of the TV, flipping through channels until I decided to watch some Adventure Time. (which is like my fav show) That was pretty much how the rest of my day went too, occasionally I would get up and find a snack or go grab some tylenol, but it was just kind of a lazy day for me. I figured I could use a break, especially since I started school tomorrow.

Not only would I be the new girl, but I would be the new girl who started halfway through the first semester. All of these kids have known each other their whole lives; they went to the same elementary, the same middle school, hell, they probably even went to the same preschool. I would stick out like a sore thumb. But hey, who doesn't like a challenge?

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it, please follow, favorite, and review!(: xx**

**P.S. Can anybody guess who Leshawna almost hit on her way to Gwen's? Cookies for whoever answers correctly first!**

**Duncan: *from the closet* IT WAS ME YOU DUMB-ASSES! CRAZY BITCH ALMOST RAN ME OVER!**

**Me: SHUT THE FUCK UP! OR ELSE I WONT PUT YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! (; (; (;**

**Duncan: Oh, my bad...well, ummmm...i love you?**

**Me: Damn straight you do. And don't you forget it. **


	4. Bus 14

**A/N: Yeah, shoot me, hang me, whatever. I've got a bunch of excuses as to why I've been so late with these last chapters, but I just want you to know that i know what I'm doing (kinda lol) and I WILL NOT BE GIVING UP. Thank you all for the reviews! And congrats to _truetdlover_ for being the first to answer correctly! COOKIES FOR YOU(: haha well here's chapter four. and yes. DUNCAN'S HERE.**

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_Last time..._

_Not only would I be the new girl, but I would be the new girl who started halfway through the first semester. All of these kids have known each other their whole lives; they went to the same elementary, the same middle school, hell, they probably even went to the same preschool. I would stick out like a sore thumb. But hey, who doesn't like a challenge?_

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I woke up the next morning to the sound of my alarm beeping. Lazily swinging my arm around, I reached over to my nightstand and hit the snooze button, my eyes still shut tight. I slowly sat up and stretched my arms over my head, my shoulder wasn't too sore, but I was pretty sure there was a wicked bruise on my back. I stood up and yawned, walked over to the door and headed out into the hall.  
I knew Ray wasn't home so I let my guard down a little, relaxing for the first time in ages. I turned and walked towards the bathroom, I had about a half hour to get ready before I had to start walking towards my bus stop; it was just around the block so I should have enough time to get there.

After I had showered and brushed my teeth, I had about twenty minutes left before I had to leave. Walking over to my closet, I started browsing through my clothes, humming the melody from Pierce the Veil's, King For A Day.  
"_Imagine living like a king some day, a single night without a ghost in the walls, and if the bass shakes the earth underground, we'll start a new revolution now_!" I sang out.

Finally, I decided to just pull on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a skull and crossbones t-shirt and a BMTH hoodie. Then, I quickly ran a bush through my almost-dry, teal-streaked hair and threw on some eyeliner and teal lipstick. Grabbing my backpack I shut off the light on my way into the hall.

Downstairs, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed my phone out of the silverware drawer. Glancing at the clock on the stove, I saw that it was almost six o'clock._ Shit I'm gonna be late!_ I quick grabbed the house key off the top of the fridge, slid on my converse by the front door and headed outside, locking the house behind me. And just because my life isn't fucked up enough already, there's thunder in the distance and lightning is starting to flash in the sky. _Great._

I head down my driveway and begin my walk to the bus stop, it was just around the corner and into the neighboring subdivision. _Urghh I need my iPod._ King For a Day was still stuck in my head and I began singing out loud, occasionally humming a few instrumental parts. Suddenly, I felt a cool drop of water hit me square in the forehead. I glanced up into the sky and several more drops splattered on my face._ Just give me a fucking break already!_ Pulling up my hood and cursing under my breath, I walked on.

Thunder boomed overhead as I rounded the corner and began walking into the next subdivision. It had started pouring, raindrops pounding furiously onto the pavement all around me.

Up ahead of me, I could see that my bus stop was at the end of this street, it was just a deserted bench, rather lonely looking._ If the only human-interaction I make today is with this bench, that's fine with me._  
Glancing around, I also happened to notice that this neighborhood was fucking huge. Big-ass mansions, most of them four-stories high, were all surrounding me. _Why the hell is this high-class neighborhood right around the corner from my little shack of a house?_ That's just fuckin weird.

As lightening streaked overhead I noticed that the bench wasn't deserted after all, I could now make out a dark figure leaning against the back of the bench, facing away from the road, staring off into space looking lost in thought. As I kept walking closer I could see that it was a guy, probably around my age, wearing a skull sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and some red converse, a pair of headphones dangling around his neck. He had his hood up so I couldn't see his face, but it didn't matter, I didn't plan on making any new friends today. Or ever for that matter.

Now I was just a few feet away from the bus stop, rain still slamming down on the pavement, my feet were sloshing through the shallow puddles that had formed already. Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder pierced the silent air like a knife, and I let out a startled shriek, causing the boy to snap out of his daze. He turned his head and his eyes landed right on me. Now that I could see him more clearly, I discovered that he had a bright green mohawk hidden under his hood, it amazed me I hadn't noticed it earlier, that thing was bright enough to land a plane.

Something about the mohawk seemed familiar to me but I couldn't put a finger on it.

I took a few more steps toward the bench, looking at my own feet but feeling his gaze on me the whole time. Finally I reached the end of the bench and looked up; he was still looking at me, a scowl plastered on his face. We stood there; at opposite ends of the bench staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity before I decided that this was fucking ridiculous. I took a deep breath, moved my drenched hair out of my face, and said, "Hi."

He looked almost shocked at first, like he was surprised that I would ever want to start a conversation with him, and well to be honest I was surprised I did too, but then his lips twitched into a smirk and he shifted his weight so that he was completely facing me now.  
"Hey, you waitin for bus 14?" he asked over the sound of the storm. He was pretty tall, maybe about six foot two, which was huge, compared to my short height of five foot four, so I had to tilt my head up a few inches in order to properly see him. "Yeah," I answered "am I in the right place?"

"Yeah, this is it. So, you a newbie?" he said as the lightning lit up his teal eyes.  
"Yeah, just moved here a couple days ago. Today's my first day." I said. He looked down at my hands, his eyes lingering there for a moment before jumping back to my face.

"What?" I asked, crossing my rain soaked arms over my chest, shifting into defensive mode.

"You got an iPod or anything like that?" he asked, adjusting his own headphones on his shoulders.

My heart almost broke at the memory of what happened to my iPod, remembering the crushed pieces in the trash at home. But then I was a little concerned, _he wasn't going to rob me or anything, right?_ "Why are you asking?" I countered, my heart rate picking up a bit.

"It's a long ride to the school and almost all of the kids we pick up are freshman. And they're all complete nerds, so unless you want to sit and listen to some voice cracking loser, I suggest you bring something to block out the noise." He responded, sounding a bit annoyed, like I should have already known this.

"Hey, how do you know I'm not a freshman?" I asked giving him a questioning look.

He chuckled and said, "Well, for one you're not nearly as lame as a freshie, and two, you have way more balls." A small smile quirked on the edge of my lips at his words.

"Well I just busted my iPod the other day, so it looks like I'm stuck with the dorks."

"Damn shame." He replied. "You'll never survive, it was nice knowin ya…." He trailed, trying to recall my name.  
"It's Gwen." I said.

"Gwen," he repeated "The names Duncan." Suddenly we both turned to look down the street at the loud rumbling of a bus engine. The rain had let up quite a bit and the clouds were starting to thin out.

"Well, here comes our ride to hell." Duncan commented dryly.

"Oh joy." I said just as sarcastically. The bus was almost halfway down the road when a bright streak of sunlight shone through the disappearing clouds. The sun was rising quickly and the sky was a pinkish blue. "Great, I hate sunny days." I said out loud to myself.

Duncan chuckled beside me and said "You're not the typical newbie, I like you Sunshine." I looked up at him and scowled at the nickname.

"We've only known each other for five minutes, and I already want to kill you." I said, sending a threatening glare his way. Duncan opened his mouth to make some sarcastic remark, but the bus pulled up in front of us cutting him off. Duncan bent down and picked up his backpack, which I hadn't even noticed until now, and I followed him onto the bus, past the middle aged, overweight bus driver. There were already several kids on the bus, two girls dressed in pink gossiping in the front seat, a boy wearing suspenders and a bow tie sat near the emergency exit and behind him was a girl who appeared to have bright orange hair and was picking her nose.

Duncan glanced over his shoulder at me as we were heading to the back of the bus, gauging my reaction to the freshman. I was trying not to look too disgusted but I must not have been hiding it very well because Duncan was laughing as he sat down in the very last seat on the bus. I moved past him to sit in the seat across the aisle from him, when suddenly he grabbed my wrist sending tingles throughout my arm and pulled me back toward his seat. At the same time, the bus violently jerked forward as it began moving again. Both of these actions combined caused me to lose my balance and I leaned forward, prepared to smash face first into the bus floor, when I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist, keeping me from falling. Duncan pulled me back into the seat next to him and I winced in pain. He had grabbed me right where my new set of bruises were, sending a wave of pain through my abdomen. Luckily, he didn't seem to have noticed my wince.  
"Whoa there," he said smirking."Gotcha Sunshine."

"Thanks" I replied a little breathless, "but why couldn't I have just sat over there?" I gestured to the seat across from us.

"This place gets pretty packed; you probably would've ended up with a snot-faced brat as your neighbor." He said.

"Oh so you think you're better than a snot-faced brat? Clearly, you think way too highly of yourself." I joked.

"Ouch, that hurt Gwen. Way to bruise a man's ego." Duncan said, rubbing his arm as if I had actually hit him. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPod, taking the headphones from around his neck and handing an ear-bud to me.

"Here, pick a song." He said as he handed the device to me. Giving him a skeptical look, I grabbed the iPod and began flipping through his songs. Oddly enough, we were into the same type of music and I knew most of the songs on there. Suddenly I knew exactly what song I wanted to hear, and sure enough he had it. I pushed play and turned the volume up a little higher.

"King For a Day, Pierce the Veil, nice choice. " He said smiling down at me. His teal eyes were staring right into my dark grey ones and at that moment, I was glad that I had decided to make at least one new friend today. Even if the rest of the day would be hell.

* * *

**A/N: Well please please please review. I know that the story is moving kind of slow but it'll pick up soon. And let me know how you feel about Gwen/Duncan's friendship. I made them kind of fast friends but I feel that's how it realistically would be.**

**One last thing, anybody wanna guess how old I am? Closest answer gets a cookie(;**

**Alright lovelies, thanks again for all the support, love you all. PLEASE FOLLOW, FAVORITE AND REVIEW. See ya(;**


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